What cost "sponge fingers"?

When one admits to a stranger in a supermarket that one's heart rending sigh (rendered before a heavily laden shopping basket) is caused by having spent the past few days doing nothing but shopping for Christmas Day's celebrations, that is probably the time to take stock.

If all appears lost by one's inability to find one ingredient that one is seeking for exactly one recipe, it's time to take a coffee/tea break and take stock.

What are you doing it for? Who are you doing it for? When the celebration seems anything but celebratory, it's time to take stock.

While I (the stranger/journalist checking out the Tim Tams for Dad) spend the evening sipping tea and checking out the new Vanilla Tim Tams while taking stock, having bought the mince pies and sparkling apple juice, rather than having made them from scratch! I'm thoroughly enjoying taking stock (admittedly while working at the same time). 0:)

Methinks I'm very grateful for those creating our family feast this year and hope that if they are lacking any particular ingredients, they improvise rather than stress! 0:)

Ellen 0:)

Jingling bells and cicadas! 0:)

Came across someone bedecked in all their Christmas frippery and finery the other day. She had all the gear: Christmas T-shirt, apron, Santa hat and dangling earrings.

The earrings were what particularly caught my attention. They were dangling silver balls with green and red centres, resembling something along the lines of a bunch of grapes. When I complimented her on her outfit and mentioned the earrings in particular, she told me that she'd forgotten having bought them and had come across them again during a cleaning session. Sadly, she only feels able to wear them at Christmas given their green and red centres but at least that keeps them special and valued for that time and their particular relevance. In short, they make her feel good and encourage her to get into the Christmas spirit! Always a good thing. 0:)

And looking around at the number of people in streets and shops dressing up in all kinds of Santa and silly hats, I am reminded that this is the one time of the year when people really give themselves permission to relax their "adult" mindset and to allow themselves to enjoy "childish" antics and activities; letting their hair down and giving themselves permission to remember what being a "child" is all about, catering to the child still living within. It's a precious thing that once a year becomes the norm for many who wouldn't allow that for themselves otherwise!

Then there was yesterday! My overseas readers wouldn't know this Australian Christmas carol:

http://tww.id.au/christmas/carol-day.html

"The north wind is tossing the leaves.
The red dust is over the town;
The sparrows are under the eaves,
And the grass in the paddock is brown;
As we lift up our voices and sing,
To the Christ-child the heavenly King.

The tree ferns in green gullies sway;
The cool stream flows silently by;
The joy bells are greeting the day,
And the chimes are adrift in the sky,
As we lift up our voices and sing,
To the Christ-child the heavenly King.


Note:-
A north wind in Australia is a hot wind.
When it is not hot, it is hotter. "


It's summer here Downunder but in case we forgot it was summer, yesterday was sticky, hot and humid, broken occasionally by light showers of rain. Whereas in the U.S. Christmas is often heralded by Salvation Army collector Santas and volunteers ringing their bells, here the Salvation Army have choirs and various instrumental group combinations playing for coins and donations.

However, where I was yesterday, any conversation or music of any kind was completely drowned out by the local cicadas screeching out their own carols to the warms winds whipping the eucalyptus into a frenzy! I had dropped into a favorite second-hand bookshop where I know the owners, to see how they are doing and wish them a merry Christmas but it was hard to talk over the noise of the cicadas in the surrounding bush!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cicada#Cicadas_in_Australia

I know the area well and it is not unusual for a patch here or there to be populated by local cicadas but this entire township from end to end has been completely taken over by the creatures! Every clump of trees seemed to be doing their best to drown out the next and the natural cacophony was incredible! People struggled to be heard above the clatter and the noise was almost painful to the ears it was that loud.

I mentioned this to my friend and she laughed. "I don't notice them," she said. "They're actually a relief to me. I've had tinnitus for years but I look forward to Christmas when I can't tell whether it's me or the cicadas and I can blame everything on them!"

Blessings in disguise? You can never tell when somebody is secretly celebrating what others might miss! What's a cicada's carol to some is quite possibly screeching to someone else. I enjoyed the cicadas more after our conversation! 0:)

Ellen 0:)

Celebrations galore!

'Tis the season to be jolly, regardless of what you celebrate.

So! How do you celebrate and what do you celebrate? Personally.

There were some years when I spent my Christmas season alone due to work and personal limitations. It wasn't exactly my choice for that to be the case but it did make me think about how I celebrate when there is only me, myself and I.

Think I'll spend some time considering that over these next few days and chatting about it here.

Starting with the first dedicated Christmas (and holiday) shop I ever encountered:

http://www.susanschristmasshop.com/

A chance to think about what suits you when you celebrate and exactly what aspect of your holiday/s you are celebrating.

What to choose when there's nobody else to chose for!

What would you personally celebrate and how?


Ellen 0:)